<x-flowed>Dave,
Here are some thoughts (not expertise, mind).
1. Auxin antagonism. Several labs (Muday, Murphy) have been building
a case for flavanoids being antagonists of auxin transport. To the
extent that your released spurge buds need auxin they might not want
the flav's.
2. Growth interference. It is typical for young growing plants to
have few flav's and they accumulate in mature tissue. They may be too
expensive for a growing tissue to produce? or they may shunt amino
acids away from proteins which are needed to be made during growth?
or they may interfere with the growth process itself? Could they
quench the free radicals needed for OH attack of the cell wall? Cause
problems for ionic flux in/out of the vacuole?
Have fun,
Tobias
>To all the physiologist types out there (or anyone else with a clue): I
>have recently completed a microarray analysis of release from
>para-dormancy (apical dominance) in underground adventitious buds of
>leafy spurge. Although there were only about 1200 genes on the chip, I
>was able to detect a significant down regulation for a number of genes
>involved in flavanoid biosynthesis upon growth induction. Does anyone
>have a clue as to why flavanoids would be detrimental (or negatively
>responsive) to growth ? Any thoughts would be welcome.
>Dave Horvath
>USDA/ARS/RRVARC
>Fargo, ND 58105
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